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'Ouija 2' Lands Director and a Leading Actress (Exclusive)

Mike Flanagan, who is co-writing the screenplay, also will direct while Annalise Basso has nabbed a lead role.

Mike Flanagan andAnnalise Basso are ready to summon spirits.

Flanagan, who is co-writing the script for the horror sequel Ouija 2 with Jeff Howard, has signed on to also direct the film, while Annalise Basso has nabbed one of the female lead roles.

Flanagan is reuniting with Blumhouse, which produced his previous horror film Oculus. Flanagan and Howard also wrote the screenplay for 2014's Oculus, which starred Karen Gillan and Brenton Thwaites. It earned $44 million worldwide.

It's an Oculus reunion all around: Basso, who will star as a young girl grieving the death of her father, is also reuniting with Flanagan and Blumhouse, whom she worked with when she appeared in Oculus as well.

Universal, Blumhouse, Platinum Dunes and Hasbro's Ouija 2, set for release on Oct. 21, 2016, will again revolve around the ancient spirit board that was at the center of the first film. Ouija, which was made through the Blumhouse microbudget template for $5 million, scared up a huge $102.5 million worldwide after opening in October 2014.

Michael Bay, Brad Fuller and Andrew Form are producing for Platinum Dunes while Jason Blum will produce for Blumhouse Productions and Brian Goldner and Stephen Davis from Hasbro.Intrepid Pictures’ Trevor Macy, Flanagan’s frequent collaborator, will also join the film in a producer capacity. Universal’s director of development Sara Scott will oversee for the studio.

Flanagan also wrote and directed Before I Wake, a horror film starring Kate Bosworth that was previously with Relativity. He is represented by APA and Nelson Davis Wetzstein.

Rising talent Basso has just wrapped work on indie PrettyFace with Patrick Schwarzenegger, and she stars in the upcoming Captain Fantastic, set for release later this year. She previously appeared on SundanceTV’s series The Red Road. She's repped by Industry Entertainment and Coast To Coast Talent Group.